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(09/12/90 9:00am)
President Sheldon Hackney last night all but took Greek organizations out of the running for a chance to live in the Castle, saying neither a sorority nor a fraternity would likely be considered as possible tenants. In last Friday night's address to a group of students at Hillel, the president stated only that another fraternity would not move into the house. He said he expects a group to occupy the house, located at 36th Street and Locust Walk, next semester. Hackney said last night that he has not yet decided who will live in the building, which was formerly occupied by the Psi Upsilon fraternity. The prominent house was left vacant in May after the University kicked Psi Upsilon off campus as punishment for kidnapping a member of the Delta Psi fraternity. Since it was vacated, the house has figured centrally in the University's discussions of diversifying Locust Walk. Last semester, the president announced that he wanted to bring a more diverse residential population to the center of campus, which he said is dominated by white, male fraternities. Sorority leaders said last night that they are disappointed by Hackney's decision to exclude sororities from his considerations. They said putting women on the Walk would be a major step towards diversification. Chi Omega sorority tops a long waiting list of sororities requesting houses on campus. Earlier this week, Chi Omega members expressed an interest in moving into the newly vacated Castle house. Several Chi Omega members declined to comment last night. Panhellenic Association President Anita Hsueh said last night that she was surprised by Hackney's decision because "he did not even inform us about what was going on." "Our chapter is more diverse than any other interest group on campus, and certainly than any other fraternity," said Hsueh, a Kappa Delta sorority member. "It's really disappointing to me because in a previous letter to [Hackney] I had expressed to him my concern for the safety of sorority members who mostly live off campus." And Delta Delta Delta President Laura Lazarus said that while she was not surprised by Hackney's decision, she thinks it was unfair. "I definitely think that a number one priority should be women on Locust Walk," College senior Lazarus said. "A sorority would have brought a more relaxed atmosphere [to the Walk]." But Lazarus also said that she understands why Hackney is excluding sororities in his attempt to diversify Locust Walk. "I do realize it's not fair that the Greek system has the only access to Locust Walk," she said. "I don't think it's realistic or fair to the rest of the University community." Minority and women's group leaders said last night that they are pleased with Hackney's decision to fill the Castle with a strictly non-Greek group of students. College senior Anne Package, who is active in women's issues on campus, said last night that she believes that preventing Greek organizations from receiving another place on the Walk may open the center of campus up to the entire community. "A Greek group of any kind would not bring the diversity [Hackney] is looking for," Package said. "I think it's better for people with an interest in diversity to be in the center of campus." And Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Alliance Co-Chairperson Robin Woods said last night that she is "very pleased with [Hackney's decision] as first step" towards diversifying Locust Walk. "I personally would not neccessarily rule out sororities from the beginning," Woods said. "But I'm happy that diversity on the Walk has started."
(09/11/90 9:00am)
Minority leaders say Hackney's move not enough Days after President Sheldon Hackney announced that the vacant Psi Upsilon house will be filled by non-fraternity students next semester, faculty and student leaders said the move alone will not be enough to diversify Locust Walk. In a speech to a group of students at Hillel Friday night, the president said that putting a new group of students into the house - known as the Castle - is a significant step towards diversifying the Walk. Hackney said only that non-fraternity students would be placed in the house in January, but did not specify who they might be, or if minorities would be included. The president has said that diversifying Locust Walk may take several years. The prominent house, located at 36th Street and Locust Walk, was left vacant last May after the University evicted Psi Upsilon from campus as punishment for kidnapping a member of the Delta Psi fraternity. Hackney could not be reached for comment last night. Several minority student leaders said last night that they are pleased with the announcement, but that the move is not bold enough. "It would be a good show of faith if the University said minority offices could move there," Black Student League President Buzz Thomas said last night. "It would be great for the University to show its commitment to minority groups by moving them from the peripheral of campus to the center." But the College senior was quick to add that he does not think the administration is acting fast enough. "If [the administration] was truly committed [to diversifying Locust Walk] it would not take several years," Thomas said. Psi Upsilon's attorney, John Ledwith, said last night that he supports the University's intention to house students in the vacant Locust Walk house. "We prefer the house not to be vacant," he said. "We certainly want it back. In the meantime we don't want it to be in no-man's land." United Minorities Council Chairperson Nalini Samuel said last night that she thinks the University is "dragging its feet" on the issue. Samuel said she does not think the campus' main artery will ever be totally diverse. "People need to change their attitudes," the College senior said. "We could put all minorities on the Walk, but if attitudes do not change also, it would not really be diversification." But Samuel, who is a member of the committee working on the diversification of the Walk, also said that the president's plan "is a very positive step." And African-American Resource Center Director Allen Green also said yesterday that he is not convinced that the administration's plan will be successful. "If the tenor of the Walk has not changed, then putting a diverse group in the Castle may not change anything," Green said. "If a diverse group of women moves in, does it still leave it open for women to be ridiculed by the prominent group of men on Locust Walk?"
(09/06/90 9:00am)
Filing onto Hill Field for a barbecue on a sunny afternoon, scores of freshmen separate into smaller groups, many segregated by race or gender. It is not an uncommon scene at the University, whose administration has tried to combat segregation with programs such as diversity education seminars. But the scene was particularly striking on Monday the students had just left the diversity education seminars. Although students voiced overwhelming support for the sessions, their actions showed that achieving diversity awareness will take more than one Labor Day session. But students said the programs are a first step. "The program was very worthwhile," College Freshman Paul Rozelle said Monday. "I learned a lot more of how to communicate with different people, and that people really could be open-minded about differences." Students also said that while the discussions brought out many opposing viewpoints and emotions, they felt comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas with the facilitators and members in the group. But some freshmen said they did not foresee a change in the way they would deal with situations involving harassment or in their relationships with diverse groups of people. Student Life Director Francine Walker said last night that the students' self-separation is not surprising since new students tend to "go with those with whom [they] feel most comfortable." The session, which focused on racial, gender, religious and sexual orientation differences on campus, was the first in a series of diversity awareness programs scheduled for freshmen throughout the year. The programs were initiated last fall after extensive debate. Some professors criticized the programs as values indoctrination, while some minority leaders did not support them because attendance was not required. Approximately three-quarters of last year's freshman class attended the programs. Assistant Student Life Programs Director Robert Schoenberg said approximately 2000 of the 2250 freshmen attended this year's first session. Some organizers said they felt this year's program was even better than last year's, both logistically and in content. And College Junior Seth Wiesen, a facilitator of a small group session, said he was very pleased with his group's insights and participation. "I had a very positive feeling about the people saying their true feelings and listening a lot," he said Monday. In response to student complaints that last year's eight-hour program was too long, Monday's session was shortened to a half day, starting with a keynote address by renowned author and activist Maya Angelou. Angelou encouraged students "to take on responsibilities which for 18 years no one ever told you about," stressing the need for someone to "work out the problems of racism and sexism." Angelou urged the students to "put this idea [of diversity] in your perception." Several students and organizers said later that the author's emotional address was the most memorable part of the day.
(04/18/90 9:00am)
Former Associate Management Professor Rosalie Tung -- whose sexual and racial discrimination charges against the University are still pending -- was recognized by the University's Association of Women Faculty and Administrators yesterday for her outstanding contributions to women and minorities. Tung received the Leonore Williams Award which is given each year to the female professor who makes "outstanding contributions to her profession, her university, and her community." Tung has been involved in a five-year long suit with the University which began when she charged that the University denied her tenure in 1985 because of her race and sex. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is currently investigating Tung's claims. The EEOC filed suit after the University refused to submit confidential peer reviews, and the case eventually ended in the Supreme Court. The Court ruled against the University in January, saying that the administration must submit Tung's confidential peer review documents to the EEOC. AWFA Chairperson Louise Shoemaker said last night that Tung received the award because of her courage in fighting discrimination. "She not only showed courage in going ahead and working over a long time to bring about action for herself, but she has brought help for all women and minorities," Social Work Professor Shoemaker said. The plaque given to Tung also acknowledges her "extraordinary efforts to promote equal opportunities for women and for minority groups." AWFA member and Microbiology Professor Helen Davies presented the award to Tung, saying that the Supreme Court decision made everyone fighting discrimination at the University "incredibly happy." "It is a world-shaking event and it is because one human being said . . . I will persist," Davies said. Upon receiving her award, Tung said that she viewed the Supreme Court's ruling "not as a personal victory, but as a victory for all women and minorities." In the January decision, the Supreme Court justices failed to rule on redaction -- a process by which the names and other identifiable characteristics are erased from files. The administration complied with the ruling last month but redacted the reviews before submitting them, an action which the EEOC said will make the files useless. Tung, who is now a distinguished professor at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, said yesterday that she thinks the University's actions are hindering the judicial process. "It is outrageous for the University to try to make a farce of the [Supreme Court] decision by redacting the documents," Tung said. "The complete documents will show that in fact I have been discriminated against." Tung added that she will continue to pursue her case even though she thinks the "administration is dragging its feet." "I will fight as long as the University has not rectified this unjustice," Tung said. Also awarded at yesterday's ceremony were the seven recipients of the Alice Paul Award, an honor bestowed on undergraduate and graduate students excelling in leadership, scholarship, and contributions to the community. The AWFA awarded College seniors Suzanne Maloney, Elizabeth Dominik and Elena Maria Mortemore, School of Arts and Sciences graduate students Abby Schrader and Ann Cubilie, and Law School students Ann Bartow and Storm Jamison.
(04/18/90 9:00am)
Former Associate Management Professor Rosalie Tung -- whose sexual and racial discrimination charges against the University are still pending -- was recognized by the University's Association of Women Faculty and Administrators yesterday for her outstanding contributions to women and minorities. Tung received the Leonore Williams Award which is given each year to the female professor who makes "outstanding contributions to her profession, her university, and her community." Tung has been involved in a five-year long suit with the University which began when she charged that the University denied her tenure in 1985 because of her race and sex. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is currently investigating Tung's claims. The EEOC filed suit after the University refused to submit confidential peer reviews, and the case eventually ended in the Supreme Court. The Court ruled against the University in January, saying that the administration must submit Tung's confidential peer review documents to the EEOC. AWFA Chairperson Louise Shoemaker said last night that Tung received the award because of her courage in fighting discrimination. "She not only showed courage in going ahead and working over a long time to bring about action for herself, but she has brought help for all women and minorities," Social Work Professor Shoemaker said. The plaque given to Tung also acknowledges her "extraordinary efforts to promote equal opportunities for women and for minority groups." AWFA member and Microbiology Professor Helen Davies presented the award to Tung, saying that the Supreme Court decision made everyone fighting discrimination at the University "incredibly happy." "It is a world-shaking event and it is because one human being said . . . I will persist," Davies said. Upon receiving her award, Tung said that she viewed the Supreme Court's ruling "not as a personal victory, but as a victory for all women and minorities." In the January decision, the Supreme Court justices failed to rule on redaction -- a process by which the names and other identifiable characteristics are erased from files. The administration complied with the ruling last month but redacted the reviews before submitting them, an action which the EEOC said will make the files useless. Tung, who is now a distinguished professor at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, said yesterday that she thinks the University's actions are hindering the judicial process. "It is outrageous for the University to try to make a farce of the [Supreme Court] decision by redacting the documents," Tung said. "The complete documents will show that in fact I have been discriminated against." Tung added that she will continue to pursue her case even though she thinks the "administration is dragging its feet." "I will fight as long as the University has not rectified this unjustice," Tung said. Also awarded at yesterday's ceremony were the seven recipients of the Alice Paul Award, an honor bestowed on undergraduate and graduate students excelling in leadership, scholarship, and contributions to the community. The AWFA awarded College seniors Suzanne Maloney, Elizabeth Dominik and Elena Maria Mortemore, School of Arts and Sciences graduate students Abby Schrader and Ann Cubilie, and Law School students Ann Bartow and Storm Jamison.
(04/18/90 9:00am)
Faculty members expressed their support for the University's affirmative action policy yesterday, passing a resolution calling for a committee to monitor the affirmative action progress of each department. Faculty members voted to charge the Committee on the Faculty with "the annual monitoring of the progress made toward an increased presence of women and minorities on the faculties of the various Schools." The resolution, approved by the Faculty Senate, consisted of four separate motions and was proposed as an alternative to the resolution suggested by the Senate Committee on the Faculty last month. It passed by an outstanding majority. The resolution establishes a new way to check the hiring practices of departments deemed "delinquent" with respect to affirmative action, as determined by a study conducted by the Office of Planning and Institutional Research. The study reported that in 13 SAS departments, 104 male and seven female faculty members were hired between 1982 and 1988, and that 3 Wharton departments hired 47 males and one female faculty member during the same time period. Faculty Senate Chairperson Robert Davies said that yesterday was the first time the faculty has made an official statement about the affirmative action policy. The approved resolution also recommends that the administration conduct confidential exit interviews of women and minority professors who are leaving the University in order to determine if the faculty feel they were treated unfairly in their departments. Senate members decided to vote on the alternate resolution after several members criticized a point in the Committee's plan which suggested that the Provost appoint an outside committee to investigate a department's claim that "the [hiring] pool is not adequate in the subfield in which they wish to appoint faculty." Many faculty members said that they do not support the point, but that without it the Committee's proposal is weak and does not change the current policy in any way. Women's Studies Program Research Director Janice Madden said that she proposed voting on the alternate resolution because while drastic measures need to be taken, the Committee's suggestion may have led to negative responses from departments which were being investigated. She said that she would "feel happier if the strong faculty vote at the meeting carries on into those departments which have problems." The alternate resolution was proposed by a separate group of faculty members. Committee on the Faculty Chairperson Morris Mendelson -- who also signed the approved proposal -- said last week that the two resolutions were alike in principle. "I'm a little disappointed that our [resolution] did not go through," Mendelson said yesterday "But at least we made progress . . . and we're not finished yet." In addition to monitoring hiring procedures and conducting exit interviews, the resolution also says that the Faculty Senate supports the University's affirmative action policy and urges the provost to hold schools responsible for upholding the policy. Physics Professor Michael Cohen said last night that he did not support the proposal's focus on "current deficiencies" in departments' hiring practices because the word "deficiencies" is being defined numerically. Cohen said this method is "somewhat defective" because it does not take into account availability of applicants and departments' success at attracting and retaining women and minority faculty. But Cohen conceded that the majority of the plan would benefit the University and said that he would have voted in favor of the other three points.
(04/17/90 9:00am)
According to fellow faculty members, Senate Executive Committee Chairperson-elect Louise Shoemaker is a strong, caring and no-nonsense educator. But above all, her colleages say she is capable. Since she was nominated to the post without opposition last month, Shoemaker has received staunch support and virtually no criticism. "She has certain causes which concern her, and she stands by them strongly," Emeritus Biochemistry Professor Adelaide Delluva said this week. Shoemaker, who has worked at the University for 25 years, will begin her three-year stint in the fall, learning SEC operations and advising committees as chairperson-elect. She will head the committee the following year, and will advise the incoming officers during the 1992-93 academic year. Shoemaker served as Social Work dean from 1971 to 1985 and has been in the forefront of the fight for civil rights at the University for most of her years here. During her tenure as dean, the School of Social Work hired four black professors, and the school still has the University's highest percentage of black faculty members. "I feel that there should be a faculty diversity here because we are an American faculty," Shoemaker said. "I'd like to see the University become a more humane place for people to study and work." The clinal social work professor has served as chairperson of the Association of Women Faculty and Administrators at the University for the past year. She said that the group's greatest work during the year has been "taking a proactive stance about women's issues on campus." Under her leadership, the association signed an amicus curiae brief supporting the Equal Employment Opportunity Commmission in the recent Supreme Court case against the University, in which the justices ruled that the University must give documents for government investigations into charges of discrimination. Social Work Professor Mark Stern said yesterday that Shoemaker will be a "strong spokesperson for the faculty." He added that he expects her to focus her efforts on combatting racism and sexism on campus. "She is a no-nonsense person who has a clear notion about what is important, and she works on those issues," Stern said. Shoemaker also serves on several academic committees and currently heads the Senate Committee on Academic Freedom and Resposibility. Delluva, a member of the academic freedom committee, said that Shoemaker has been a fair and capable committee chairperson who "always stands by her principles." Delluva added that she expects Shoemaker to carry these traits with her to the SEC leadership. While Shoemaker will not be a SEC member until the fall, she said that her experience as Academic Freedom and Resposibilty chairperson has helped her to understand faculty issues at the University. "There seems to be a lot of ignorance about what it means to be a faculty member at the University in regards to academic freedom," the Social Work professor said. She added that she hopes to educate faculty about their rights and responsibilities during the next three years. Shoemaker also said that her experience as dean and professor will enable her to be an intermediary between the administration and the faculty. "Being dean, I had to know how the University operates and the kinds of issues it deals with," she said. "The administration knows I am persistent, and I have a very good relationship with the deans." Colleagues have praised Shoemaker's professional work as well, saying that she is well known in her field of clinical social work. According to Social Work Professor June Axinn, Shoemaker is a "leader in social work in the United States," who has written extensively and given many speeches about her area of expertise. But Shoemaker's social work fame is not limited to this country. Shoemaker's love of travel has taken her to the ends of the Earth where she has taught and studied the social work practices of people worldwide. She has been involved in a student exchange program to the University of Ibadan in Nigeria for the past five years, and said she plans to travel to India in the near future. While Shoemaker said she loves to experience foreign cultures, she added that she seldom travels just for fun. Her trips include visits to prisons, institutions and hospitals which "tell a lot about the people." Axinn said she thinks Shoemaker's travel experience will help her in her new position. "She has a lot of interest in international affairs," Axinn said yesterday. "She will give a broad perspective to University life." Shoemaker also paints, and her artistic works include oil landscapes and other subjects which she said are "restful to the soul." But according to Shoemaker, all these accomplishments are little next to her lifetime greatest accomplishment: the successful raising of her three children and one Vietnamese foster child.
(04/17/90 9:00am)
This year's winners of the Lindback Award, the University's highest teaching honor, instruct in disciplines ranging from physiology to sociology. But all won the prestigious award for the same reason: dedication to their students. Provost Michael Aiken yesterday announced the eight Lindback winners from five different schools, along with the winner of the Provost award, given to distinguished teachers who are not a part of the University's standing faculty. The candidates, four from the health schools and four from non-health schools, will be honored at an open reception May 2. They were chosen from a pool of 21 candidates. The committees reviewed student and faculty recommendations in the selection of the winners, who will each receive $1000. The health schools winners are Associate Medical Cardiovascular Professor John Hirshfeld, Assistant Nursing Professor Linda Brown, Physiology Professor Carol Deutsch, and Dermatology Department Chairperson Gerald Lazarus. In the non-health schools, Associate Electrical Engineering Professor Jan Van der Spiegel, Associate Sociology Professor Willy De Craemer, Assistant Chemistry Professor Donald Berry, and Assistant Management Professor Paul Tiffany will be awarded. The Provost award winner is Senior Legal Studies Lecturer Diana Robertson. Aiken said last night that the Lindback candidates are "outstanding as they are every year." Electrical Engineering Professor Sohrab Rabii, who headed the selection committee for the non-health schools, said last night that committee members were unanimous in their choices, adding that the candidates are "absolutely first rate." The Lindback winners expressed delight yesterday at the award, saying that teaching was their first priority at the University. Assistant Nursing Professor Brown said she was pleased by the award, adding that her nomination alone demonstrated that her students appreciate her teaching. "I didn't go out and teach every day to get the award," Brown said. "It is very important to know I'm meeting my students' needs." Assistant Management Professor Tiffany said last night that he was shocked that he won the award because he did not even know he was nominated this year. Tiffany, who was denied tenure by the University last year, said that while he is extremely pleased that he was chosen to receive the prestigous award, he thinks it is "somewhat comical" that it was awarded after his tenure denial. "The Lindback has been called the kiss of death [for tenure candidates]," he said. "In my case it seems to be necrophilia." But Electrical Engineering Chairperson Rabii said that the Lindback Award does not hinder candidates' quests for tenure. He said that both research and teaching are recognized when awarding tenure. Committee members praised the award winners yesterday. "Obviously these people had all been through the [review] process so they are the finest educators," Associate Pathology Professor Michael Cancro. Law School student Diane Weber, the graduate student representative to the non-health school committee, said last night that the committee worked long hours to decide that the four winners were the best candidates to receive the award. And many of the winners' students yesterday praised the committees for their choices. Education doctoral student Gayle Glicksman, who took DeCraemer's graduate Medicine and Religion in Society courses, said last night that the professor is a "very outstanding teacher." "He has a capacity to be tolerant of different opinions and to allow students to express themselves while still maintaining a rigorous academic attitude," she said. "He is one of the finest professors I ever had."
